Archive for July, 2009

Half Acre
(Dan Messe)
I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
And folded in this scrap of paper
Is the land I grew in
Think of every town you’ve lived in
Every room you lay your head
And what is it that you remember
Do you carry every sadness with you
Every hour your heart was broken
Every night the fear… »

“It was with great joy and delight that she took the dirty container that once held the pork marinade and added it, rinsed, to the dishwasher. Perhaps to most onlookers, feeling joy over something so mundane would be like raising the mediocre to underserved and elevated levels of grandeur. She, however, had a strong appreciation… »

Follow the link; it’s worth it. Happiness, by Jane… »

There are two memories that stand out in my mind of being lost when I was a child. The first one took place in one of the many, many fabric stores I spent time in, shopping with my mom. I think this must have been in the days before skinny shopping carts because I was… »

I found this poem compelling. It’s probably offensive. But the frustration resonates. Hat tip: Laura.
Sarah’s List
Kilian McDonnell | JUNE 22, 2009
Listen to me, Lord. I have a list.
You said to Abraham:
Go, leave your fathers’ graves! To me,
no word. You promised him,
toothless at ninety-nine, a son. A son
of ours? We laughed. Sixty years
you locked my womb… »

I was recently on vacation in the mountains and was thus reminded of how those hilly wooded acres are home to so many birds. We’d slept with the windows open, letting in very cool night air, and woke to songs and chirps and feathered mating calls.  When we got home, the sky was silent. I… »